http://caribbean-diving.com/ 326-67 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/326-the-reef-house-resort-roatan-diving-at-its-finest My sister and I just returned from a week at the Reef House Resort in Roatan, Honduras. The trip exceeded my expectations. I must caution -- this is not the West End. The resort is located on a small key (cay?) that is only accessible by boat. The focus of trips here are basically – Eat, Sleep, Dive (not necessarily in that order). Partying/nightlife is not one of the purposes. Getting There: Convenient! Fly into Roatan (usually Saturday or Sunday from the US). Someone is there to meet you at the airport and help collect your bags. Transportation to/from the airport is included. Accommodations: Comfortable! There are only 12 or so rooms, each has two queen-sized beds, a flat screen TV with cable, A/C, hot private shower, and all the fresh drinking water you can consume. You can also refill your bottles with drinking water from a cooler in the main lodge. Free wi-fi is available in the rooms and lodge area. Food: Incredible! Three home-cooked meals, served on individual plates (no buffet). Each meal had home-made bread or tortillas and dinner included dessert (also home-made). After the third dive, fresh cookies or sweet rolls were available. Everything was fresh, wonderful, filling, and just downright DELICIOUS! Juice and Iced Tea are provided with every meal. Alcohol and soft drinks are not included in the price (beer $2, sodas $1). The bar is an on-your-honor system. You can also bring your own alcohol or drinks. Stayed May 2011, travelled with family ]]> Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:30:38 +0100 621-66 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/621-jewel-dunns-river-resort What a wonderful vacation, fantastic staff, great food and beautiful setting. Didn't realise at the time of booking that this was formerly Eden II where we had Honeymooned 25 years before. There is nothing negative I could say. No line ups, never felt crowded, entertainment was excellent, Patricia Edwards blew us away. Thankyou Garnet, Princess and Junior. ]]> Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:28:31 +0100 531-59 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/531-best-price-diving-resort-in-roatan-pura-vida-resort-roatan This is a great place to stay very comfortable and right in the heart of the west end. Its now called splashinn. This restaurant is one of the best on Roatan with a good menu featuring european and central american food with american favorites. The breakfast is amazing and check this place out if your looking to do an all inclusive diving package. Its hard to beat. Things that let it down are just that it doesnt have a beach though it is right on the water and has its own jetty. You can walk down to half moon bay or get a water taxi up to west bay, the best beach in the Caribbean - well a contender. ]]> Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:15:06 +0100 656-56 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/656-mayan-princess-beach-resort-west-bay This was my first trip to a tropical paradise. We were 3 couples. Initially we had reserved rooms at the Infinity Bay. Two days before our trip, our hotel was changed due to "unforeseen problems" and we had the choice of 2 other hotels.... we chose the Mayan Princess. Because of these problems, we all received complimentary fruit plates and bottles of wine in our rooms.... as well as VIP bracelets giving us access at anytime to all the resorts and bars on the beach. With this luxury we were able to check out all of the resorts and we all agreed that the Mayan Princess was the better choice. Upon arriving we had a nice welcome from the staff as a staff member handed each of us a "welcome daiquiri". We were offered assistance with our luggage and we headed straight to the beach which was located only a few steps from our room. It was GORGEOUS! The softest sands were constantly being cleaned and groomed, chairs were always well kept. The room was nice, the bed was broken on one side, but still liveable. A nice sitting area both inside and outside. Weather was gorgeous the entire time so we spend VERY little time in our rooms. The Dive Shop was great, very friendly service, the snorkelling right off the beach was fantastic.... we must have done it 2-3 times a day. We met a great man with a water taxi who brought us "downtown" to go shopping, and took us to several beautiful snorkelling locations.... and after a few days he even brought us to his house on the beach to meet his family and new baby. The locals are all so friendly. The food was alright for me, but repetative. For the friends I travelled with (who have all done all-inclusives before) the food was dull and tasteless. My favourite aspect of this island is that when the cruise ships dock, all passengers have "their own area" on the beach. If they want to relax in front of any of the hotels, it costs 10$ a day. so our beachfront was never crowded. very relaxing time. The nightly entertainment was ok. There was an attempt every night to keep us entertained with karaoke, small bands or a fire show.... the same fire show every other night.... Overall, we all had a great experience and are DEFINITELY returning to Roatan in the future. ]]> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:46:12 +0000 584-52 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/584-adults-only-sofisticated-hotel-in-barbados The worst place i ever see. Service slower than a snail, you have to ask 3 times for everything. ]]> Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:15:21 +0100 475-50 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/475-utopia-dive-village We had no problem pre-chartering a Cessna over to Utila. Personally, I think this is the best way to go. A van met us at the Utila landing strip, and promptly drove us to Utila Town, and the dock where the Miss U Dive boat met us. The owners who really care, were on hand. Even though they were kept hopping, and were very busy, they did their utmost to satisfy everyone, which is a hard task indeed to be able to accomplish. John, the chef, was most accommodating and his blackened fish is to die for. His breakfast presentations were delightful. John made it a point to individually tailor meals to the clientele. Indeed, the kitchen staff was friendly as could be, and one could learn a lot about the region and its idiosyncrasies from them. There is wonderful diving and underwater photography to be had, and the people that you meet here are truly interesting in their own right. Juca, the divemaster, is very knowledgeable and talented. Indeed, he is someone worthy of diving with again on a repeat visit. The dive boat, Miss U, is one of the best dive boats we have come across. Alas, as for diving with whale sharks, well that is really up to Mother Nature and her whims. Even if you are not a diver, there is snorkeling off the dock, walking along the waterfront, or just plain relaxing with reading material. Mark my words, you will become relaxed! And it is true; the stars are beautiful here at night. A quick jaunt over to Pigeon Cay gave some local flavour. Utila Town is also worthwhile, and I wish we had devoted a little more time to it. Browsing these locales impresses on one that that Utila was once the haunting grounds of pirates. Most definitely wear something, i.e. Deet, baby oil), to ward off the sand flies. However, everything else about Utopia Dive Village and Utila, overrides this nasty inconvenience. Also, the accommodations were comfortable, clean and innovative in design and décor. So saying, if you want adventure, and to be able to dive with a wonderful divemaster, and an impressive dive boat, then this is the place. If you want delicious food prepared with thought and care, it is all here. If you want the peace of mind of caring staff doing their utmost for you, this is the place. And, if you come with an open mind, you can have a lot of fun, and isn’t that what it really boils down to? ]]> Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:29:06 +0100 475-49 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/475-utopia-dive-village We were lucky enough to come upon the Utopia Dive Village while on our honeymoon to Utila. We stayed up the beach at the Pineapple House on Treasure beach (also fantastic), and everyone that we ran into told us that Utopia was a great place to go for dinner and drinks. We decided to check it out, and I've got to say - it was a lot more than just fantastic food. I have never had the pleasure of meeting such pleasant and down to earth people in any of my travels. The level of service and hospitality here are just off the charts. From the moment we walked up their beach to inquire about dinner the following evening, Debbie invited us in to the lovely beach bar for a drink. I'd forgot my wallet at the house but that was no problem, they happily started us a tab and we joined the staff at the current group of guests/divers for a few drinks before heading back down the beach. The following evening we joined the same group and some others for dinner - the food was excellent! Great presentation, great service, and great taste. We toured around the resort - if you stay here, you will NOT be disappointed. The resort is situated about 15 minutes from Utila by boat - there is no vehicle access which makes it very private and remote. The design of the facility is very open and airy, lots of ocean breeze and fresh air. They've put a lot of work into their beach, it's by far the nicest we've seen on Utila, nice and sandy with great hammocks and loungers and lots of shade. The water is beautiful. We did not experience the diving, however we did have the pleasure of meeting the dive instructors and they were just fantastic. We had some drinks and dined with some of the other guests and the feedback we got from them about the resort and the diving was all the same - everything was top notch. We felt very welcome, met great new friends, and will definitely return for the full Utopia experience (hopefully next year). ]]> Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:26:44 +0100 475-48 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/475-utopia-dive-village Utopia Dive Village is described as an “off the beaten path vacation retreat” and that it definitely is. Getting there was almost as much fun as the stay. I was a little nervous about having to take a “puddle jumper”, meet a van and get on a boat, but everyone was all set and waiting for me. Not once did I worry about not knowing where to go or which bus to take, etc. The final hop of my journey was on the Miss U, which is also the dive boat we used every day. It is very well taken care of and a very nice boat. We were greeted by Roxanne on the boat, one of the owners. How many resort owners do you ever have come out and meet you to help you get to their resort? I have never had any. When we arrived we had a welcome drink and then were shown to our rooms. The rooms were spacious and very open air feeling. Very tastefully decorated. Our view was incredible as we had a large picture window that looked right out onto the water. When the sky was clear we could even see the mountains on the mainland. There were only a total of 12 guests in the entire resort the week we were there and it felt like we owned the place. All of the staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. We ate gourmet meals every evening and the chef was very accommodating when I mentioned that I didn’t like coconut one night, he made my meal special; spicy just the way I like it. The diving was wonderful, we did 2 boat dives every day and usually a shore dive every afternoon. The reef was right in front of the resort, so the shore was rocky, but going a few steps down to the dock took care of that problem. Tanks and our gear were left out whenever we wanted them to be and were waiting for us to do as many shore dives as we wanted. Ju-ca was very helpful and made us feel very relaxed, even though we still consider ourselves new at diving and started out a little nervous. The night dive was wonderful, we even saw an octopus. We unfortunately did not get to see any whale sharks, but from talking to others on the island, it does not sound like anyone did that week. A couple of days on our surface intervals we spent time in town and also went over to one of the cays to visit a quaint fishing village and have lunch. by Scubagirl, Columbus, Ohio ]]> Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:20:05 +0100 475-47 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/475-utopia-dive-village We have just enjoyed the most relaxing vacation ever at Utopia Village on Utila in of April 2010. The onsite owners and their staff were most accommodating and made us feel right at home from day one. The village is remote providing the perfect ‘get away from it all’ experience. Chef John’s daily culinary creations meant we feasted well for the entire week. The house reef was excellent and included sightings of turtles, barracuda and numerous juveniles. The daily morning boat dives were unhurried and the dive master, Juan Carlos and boat captain, Sydney were very helpful and a ton of fun. The Dive Bar was a great place to kick back after diving and chill. If you are looking for a laid back sort of dive vacation that is far from the maddening crowds, I highly recommend Utopia Village. By diverliz_10, Ontario ]]> Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:17:18 +0100 475-46 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/475-utopia-dive-village Just returned from our diving vacation (April 11, 2010) at Utopia Dive Village, Utila, Honduras and what a wonderful time my husband and I had. We were welcomed as we arrived just like we were long lost friends. The room was so quiet and comfortable we could hear the waves crashing on the beach (room M 4 , Monkey La La ) No phones or television but we did have wireless available in our room. The dive master , boat captain, and boat staff were helpful and kept our safety as a prime consideration. We had a great diving experience. The boat had plenty of room and equipment provided when we had difficulty with our own personal equipment. Chef John was outstanding, by meeting our special diet needs and every meal was great. We always had more than enough to eat at every meal and muffins and fruit providided on the dive boat every day. We will be returning soon to Utopia BUT WE WILL NOT USE MORGAN TRAVEL that was our only down side to the trip. Morgan Travel is not dependable, we were placed in a very small plane when we had booked a larger plane and were left at the airport 4 hours on arrival and over an hour and half on departure from Utila at the local airstrip nearly missing our flight to Houston. So book with Utopia Dive Village, but avoid Morgan Travel for a wonderful vacation and great diving. By Nightowl10, Bossier City, LA ]]> Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:14:35 +0100 475-45 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/475-utopia-dive-village Stayed at Utopia Village for a week in March 2010. The resort is beautiful, decor is lovely and rustic. Food is awesome....Chef John is a very talented man...ask him to make his chocolate cake with peanut butter icing....yum! Utopia owners and staff were very friendly, remebered all the guests names and made sure we were all well taken care of. Event the pets at Utopia are wonderful, Paco is likely the friendlist dog in Honduras. Had a lot of fun diving, Juan Carlos, Chris and crew took great care of all us divers. We saw sea horses, ocotpus, eel garden, barracuda and lots of colourful fish and beautiful, healthy coral. I rented dive equipment and was pleased that it was good quality / in good shape. I was travelling on my own and make quick friends with the other guests. Could not ask for a nicer group of people to hang out with. Overall fantastic trip. by Sunfish Toronto ]]> Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:09:29 +0100 384-43 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/384-villa-on-dunbar-rock This resort is extremely unique. Tons of great dive spots and amazing service! ]]> Wed, 07 Apr 2010 05:40:40 +0100 365-40 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/365-fosters-west-bay This is not a comment about the hotel as much as its location which is truly excellent, I think the better end of the infamous west bay beach. You can get diving from here with any of the local shops right on the beach as well. I don't think west bay is great for the nightlife or restaurants especially, better than this is west end, a $10 cab ride away. ]]> Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:46:46 +0000 162-19 http://caribbean-diving.com/resorts/162-roatan-honduras-uniquely-elegant-beach-hotel-at-half-moon-bay-west-end-village I cannot vouch for the hotel so have given an average score in that but for the location it's one of the best in Roatan. You could argue maybe West Bay is better in some respects but you couldn't argue it was best. It does however serve some of the best coffee with free refills in the area and the breakfast is varied and local. The service is very friendly and also where you eat your breakfast IS the best location right on a nice sun filled terrace listening at the clanking scuba tanks from Native Suns and Coconut tree divers. ]]> Sat, 30 May 2009 07:40:25 +0100